In this episode, we are joined by ACLU New Jersey President Amol Sinha to talk about the important work he is doing, using the law, advocacy, and organizing to secure freedom for all.
Amol shares his childhood sense of the injustice he witnessed in his hometown in New Jersey, specifically the inequity he observed living between two communities separated by race and class and what they taught him about systemic racism and oppression and his own identity and place in the “hierarchy.”
Illustrative Example: We have an over-incarceration problem in this country. Learn about the importance of decarceration, specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic as the ACLU worked to prioritize a group of people who were not thinking about, those who are incarcerated, and the public health and racial justice issues that arose there. Amol shares his work creating the model which led New Jersey to the lowest rate of decarceration in the country with similar reductions in crime and recidivism.
Why Does it Matter: People review security and freedom as opposed, but you can be safe and free at the same time. People who wield power often use it to oppress. The Rule of Law has been used to oppress than to liberate. The importance of elevating collective power over individual power — and where beloved communities can hold power rather than reserving power for the few. Why we should be striving to live up to the ideals of freedom, and how we reclaim those words for ourselves.
Pour the Glass Moment: The “tough on crime” narrative that has taken hold is very harmful to the work of securing freedom for those who are incarcerated and oppressed. It has been used by both sides of the aisle. Instead, Amol recommends that we follow the data rather than furthering that narrative. We should also raise the bar for what democracy looks like and the language and rhetoric we accept from our leaders. Amol shares all the tools that he uses at the ACLU to move the needle on the work of securing freedom.
How We Do the Thing: ACLU is everywhere, so reach out to your affiliate and connect with them to volunteer or donate. Support the Clemency Project: Advocate for and organize your governor to use their power of clemency as a decarceration tool as they have done in New Jersey. Learn more about and support the other issues and challenges that the ACLU is working on immigrant rights, book bans, DEI, and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Encouraging Word: When his work is done, Amol wants to see HOPE as a common sentiment across all communities, especially those who have felt hopeless and that their prosperity (not just financial) is reachable. It shouldn’t be a far-off dream for kids to see and experience life and the world fully. When we have achieved freedom for all, we should have people entering communities that in the past they wouldn’t have before, without fear. It would be great to eliminate prisons in certain jurisdictions and have a larger conversation about how we have used prisons as a tool of oppression.
Connect with Amol:
Twitter: @aclunj and @AmolSinha | Instagram: @aclunj | Facebook: @aclunj | LinkedIn: @aclunj and @AmolSinha
Additional resources:
Link to my website: yvettesimpson.com
Link to the book: authoryvettesimpson.com
Link to my IG page @theyvettesimpson.com and DM us your comments and show ideas @powerofypodcast
Show credits:
Producer: Nathan Ivey IG/FB @nathaniveycreative